La Niña Looms: Government forecasters predict a 62% chance of La Niña developing this summer (June-August). This natural climate pattern brings cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Impact on Hurricanes: La Niña is known to influence Atlantic hurricane activity. By weakening wind shear (changing wind speed and direction) over the Caribbean Sea and tropical Atlantic, La Niña can create conditions favorable for storm formation and intensification.
El Niño’s Exit: The strong El Niño event is fading and transitioning to ENSO-neutral conditions (neither El Niño nor La Niña) in the coming months. ENSO, short for El Niño-Southern Oscillation, encompasses the entire El Niño/La Niña cycle, impacting global weather patterns.
What is La Niña?
- La Niña is a natural climate pattern with cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
- It significantly affects US weather, especially during late fall, winter, and early spring.
- La Niña is the counterpart to El Niño, which features warmer-than-average Pacific Ocean waters.
Early Signs and Historical Trends:
- Cooling trends in a small region of the eastern Pacific suggest La Niña’s approach.
- Historically, strong El Niño events are often followed by La Niña development.
La Niña and US Weather:
- La Niña’s summer influence is minimal on US weather besides potential hurricane activity.
- Winter is when La Niña has the most significant impact on US weather.
Typical La Niña Winter Impacts:
- Colder and snowier conditions in the Northwest US.
- Drier weather across most of the southern US.
- Warmer-than-average temperatures in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic.
- Colder-than-average temperatures in New England, the Upper Midwest, and parts of New York.
Stay Updated:
This information provides a general overview of La Niña’s potential effects. Stay tuned for further updates on hurricane season forecasts and specific regional winter weather predictions closer to the time.